USAGE-BASED MODELS OF LANGUAGE
Sponsored by the Dept. of Linguistics and
the School of Humanities, Rice University
The goal of this symposium is to explore approaches to
linguistic theory that have in common the aim of accounting for
linguistic usage. The empirical data for such theories is not
restricted to linguistic intuitions about acceptability, but comes
from usage events of varied types. The focus is on the patterns found
in the various sorts of usage data examined, and how those patterns
can be extracted, represented, and used by the human mind.
The various approaches taken show signs of converging toward a
view of language as a dynamic system in which linguistic knowledge is
not separate from its processing in language use.
Timetable:
Wednesday, March 15
Evening: Opening banquet, Cohen House ($20-contact S. Kemmer for reservations)
6:00-7:00 Bar
7:00-9:00 dinner
Allen J. Matusow, Dean of Humanities, Rice University
Welcoming remarks
E. Douglas Mitchell, Rice University
"The Rice Biennial Symposium on Language"
Thursday, March 16
Farnsworth Pavilion, Rice Memorial Center
8:45-9:00 Suzanne Kemmer, Rice University
Opening comments
9:00-10:15 SYDNEY LAMB, Rice University
"Bidirectional processing in language and related cognitive
systems: The problem and a possible solution"
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:45 MIRA ARIEL, Tel Aviv University
"Processing procedures in discourse, in grammar and in
historical change: The case of reference"
11:45-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:15 JOAN BYBEE, University of New Mexico
"The phonology of the lexicon: Evidence from lexical diffusion"
2:15-2:30 Break
2:30-3:45 JANET PIERREHUMBERT, Northwestern University
"The use of theory in experimental design"
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-4:45 General discussion
Friday, March 17
9:00-10:15 MICHAEL BARLOW, Rice University
"Parallel texts in linguistic analysis"
10:15-10:30 break
10:30-11:45 JEREMY CLEAR, COBUILD and University of Birmingham, U.K.
"Lexical analysis using large corpora"
11:45-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:15 DOUGLAS BIBER, Northern Arizona University
"Investigating linguistic variability through
corpus-based analyses of association patterns"
2:15-2:30 Break
2:30-3:45 ARIE VERHAGEN, University of Utrecht
"Interpreting usage: Construing the history of Dutch causal verbs"
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-5:15 MICHAEL ISRAEL, UC San Diego
"Order and idiosyncrasy in a grammatical field: A brief survey
of polarity sensitive items"
5:15-5:45 General discussion
Saturday, March 18
9:00-10:15 BRIAN MACWHINNEY, Carnegie Mellon University
"Input-driven inductive models of language learning"
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:45 TOM GIVON, University of Oregon
"The effect of the interlocutor on episodic memory for
narrative text"
11:45-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:15 JOHN DU BOIS, UC Santa Barbara
"Dialogic syntax"
2:15-2:30 Break
2:30-3:45 RONALD LANGACKER, UC San Diego
"Language structure and language processing"
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-5:15 Panel and general discussion